PhD Programme in Biomedicine

The PhD admission process at IRB Barcelona is a comprehensive and transparent evaluation designed to guide you through applying for our doctoral programme. We encourage you to carefully review the requirements, application deadlines, and necessary documentation to ensure a smooth and fair application process. Beyond IRB Barcelona's internal predoctoral calls, you can also apply for external competitive calls that offer doctoral fellowships, including those from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Culture, among others.

Regardless of your funding source, all PhD students joining IRB Barcelona must comply with the Institute's admission rules. For PhD candidates with non-institutional fellowships or contracts, a dedicated Selection Committee will conduct an individual interview. This interview serves as a quality assessment, not a competitive ranking, ensuring IRB Barcelona recruits the best candidates and upholds its high standards.

Your PhD thesis and its supervision process at IRB Barcelona are comprehensively designed to ensure your success. Beyond the day-to-day guidance from your thesis director, your progress is annually monitored by a dedicated Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). This committee consists of at least three members, including an IRB Barcelona Principal Investigator and an external advisor, providing you with diverse expert perspectives.Once a year, you'll present a detailed report on your research to your TAC for discussion and feedback. Once your practical work is complete, you'll prepare and successfully defend your thesis at the partner university where you're officially enrolled.

IRB Barcelona is not a university, so it cannot grant PhD degrees directly. You'll enroll in a partner university of your choice to obtain your PhD degree, while conducting your research and practical training at IRB Barcelona. Local options include the Universitat de Barcelona and the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. 

You'll complete your coursework at your chosen university, concurrently working on your thesis in an IRB Barcelona research laboratory. Most students spend up to four years at the Institute, completing and defending their thesis at their enrolled university.
 

Beyond your laboratory work, IRB Barcelona offers a wealth of enriching activities for PhD students designed to foster your professional growth and personal connections.

The PhD Students' Retreat is a biennial, 2-day event celebrating research by IRB Barcelona PhD students. It features talks by current and former PhD students, poster sessions, and ample networking opportunities.

Similarly, the PhD Day is another biennial event organized by IRB Barcelona PhD students, giving you the chance to participate in designing and managing a complex scientific event. Here, invited speakers, including Nobel Prize winners and top scientists, engage with younger researchers on advanced and interdisciplinary themes in a relaxed atmosphere.

You're strongly encouraged to complete at least one short stay abroad during your doctoral training, with potential grants from mobility fellowships or external funds. Esteemed host centers include the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Weizmann Institute of Science, universities like Harvard University and ETH Zurich, and hospitals such as the MD Anderson Cancer Center, among many others. IRB Barcelona also welcomes over 50 visiting researchers annually, including PhD students, from institutes worldwide.

To strengthen your skill sets, IRB Barcelona provides complementary training and courses. These include workshops on Scientific Writing, seminars on Innovation and Technology Transfer, and workshops on Scientific Communication in English.

Immerse yourself in weekly Barcelona BioMed Seminars, where leading international scientists present their latest results and ideas. These sessions not only keep you abreast of developments in life sciences but also offer direct contact with speakers, whom you are also encouraged to invite.

Further hone your communication skills through regular presentations, workshops, and active participation in public engagement and education events.

Engage in diverse social activities, such as the monthly "Cool-off sessions" on the rooftop terrace, where the student community connects informally with drinks, snacks, and discussion.

Finally, IRB Barcelona scientists regularly participate in Group and Programme Retreats held at picturesque off-site venues. These activities provide opportunities for intense scientific discussion and social interaction, actively fostering collaboration among groups and programmes.

The Student Council at IRB Barcelona plays a vital role in enhancing your PhD experience. This body organizes various student activities, including the popular "Cool-off sessions," and serves as a crucial link for communication between the student community and the Institute's management.

Founded in 2008, the Council comprises nine members who meet monthly to discuss current topics and plan future events.

To get in touch with them, you can reach out at student_council@irbbarcelona.org. 

Your first year in the PhD Programme at IRB Barcelona is designed to provide a comprehensive and supportive introduction to doctoral research through a series of specific activities:

• Induction Course: Held at the beginning of October, this course introduces you to the units and platforms at IRB Barcelona and the PCB. It also provides essential information for your PhD training period at the Institute, along with useful details about life in Barcelona.
• Lab Rotations: During the first two years of your PhD, you'll undertake lab rotations. These offer you the opportunity to experience various laboratory environments and experimental approaches, and to get to know members from different research groups, fostering potential future collaborations.
• Mentoring Programme : Our Mentoring Programme pairs you, a new PhD student, with a volunteer PhD student (your "guide") or a postdoctoral researcher who has been at IRB Barcelona for a year or more. This mentoring initiative provides invaluable support and guidance as you settle into your new research environment.
   

English is the working language at IRB Barcelona, fostering an international and inclusive research environment.

While your PhD research and most scientific activities at the Institute are in English, it's important to note that some partner universities offer science courses in English, while others may teach in Catalan, Spanish, or a combination of these languages.

To support your integration and help improve your language skills, IRB Barcelona offers both English, Catalan and Spanish lessons to its members.

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According to article 11 of the regulatory bases for the Joan Oró grants for the hiring of predoctoral research staff in training (FI-2025) RESOLUTION REU/3320/2024 of September 16, the prioritization of the Joan Oró FI 2025 Grants is published. 

The deadline to submit appeals is February 18, 2025.